Josh Kilmer-Purcell's Blog, page 90

Gartending: Oui, Please

 

“Klaus loves Paris in the Spring-time, Klaus loves Paris in the fall.”

Ah Klaus, he is ever the hopeless romantic.  He gets misty eyed by the Fin de siècle architecture of Paris, the way the rain feels when it falls against his little ceramic cap and the way liquors taste when sipped on a boat plying the Seine River.

Klaus loves the Eiffel Tower and vows to always drink Champagne cocktails in the presence of such beauty.  He strolled around the Left and Right Banks of Paris in search of love.  Everywhere Klaus went he attracted a crowd.  Was it his impish grin?  Or perhaps it was casual elegance of his slouched red hat?

I’m still trying to figure this out.

Paris is the city for lovers and romantics of every age.  Perhaps this is why Klaus is so fond of this city of lights.  Bathed in the soft, misty light of Paris, Klaus found himself surrounded by throngs of beautiful people who all wanted to know what Klaus’s favorite brand of Champagne was, (Diebolt-Vallois) what his favorite chocolate was, (Carre Chocolat) and of course his favorite macaroon, (Dalloyau).   By the time the trip was over, Klaus had put on a couple of ounces in his middle and he retained that coy smile when he sets to describe the marvelous cheese course at his favorite bistro, (Benoit).

Klaus is a jet-setting kind of gnome!  A drinking gnome is what he really is!

Klaus participated in a “Fantastic Picnic” thrown by the Bourgogne-Tourisme organization while in Paris.  He was introduced to this “fantastic picnic” and was quite the hit on the Bateaux Mouche.  In fact he was so popular that he invented a cocktail for tasting in the soft air besides the monument we call in America the Eiffel Tower.

 

7th Arrondissement Cocktail  

Courtesy of Klaus and Atout France who sent Klaus (and myself) to Paris and Burgundy for a picnic!

Serves two lovers in a fashion reminiscent of a sightseeing trip down the Seine at night, this means 2 VERY strong cocktails! Danger level 5 out of 5!  Danger! Danger!

 

Ingredients

Tree Fresh Fall Plums slightly seared in a hot pan to release their natural sugars

Diebolt-Vallois Champagne or your choice, but it must be French!

Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice

Angostura Bitters

Sugar Cube

Hendrick’s Gin

Fresh Spearmint

 

Preparation:

Lightly sear slices of fall plums, set to cool

In your cocktail shaker add a couple slices of the seared plums

Muddle with the garden fresh spearmint until you have a paste

Add 4 oz. Hendrick’s Gin

Add 4 oz. Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice

Add a handful of ice

Stir to combine- and let cool

In a Champagne Flute, place the sugar cube in the bottom

Add several shakes of Angostura Bitters on top of the sugar cube

Double strain the plum, orange and Hendrick’s Gin mixture into the Champagne Flutes to about ½ way filled

Top with Champagne and garnish with a twirl of orange.

 

If you are not in Paris when you enjoy this drink, after a few of them- it won’t matter where you are!  

 

 

 

Martha’s Amazing Race Tips

photo: Rob Tannenbaum

 

Packing for the Amazing Race is almost as stressful as the race itself. So we went to a pro. We asked Martha what we should pack on the race and we got five great tips – not only for the Amazing Race, but for anyone taking a long trip. Here’s what Martha told us to pack:

1. Packets of real lemon juice. It’s important to keep healthy on the Race. Lemon juice is a natural disinfectant that can be used to clean surfaces. It can also be added to drinking water to kill some germs, and mask unpleasant tastes. (Though of course it won’t make non-potable water potable.) Real lemon juice also contains Vitamin C which may keep some illnesses at bay. Because the Race involves multiple airports, it’s great that the packets are small enough to take through airport security.

2. Dried figs. Most fruits lose much of their nutrition when dried, However, figs don’t. Dried figs are high in folic acid and potassium. Plus they have a lot of fiber to combat travelers constipation.

3. Brightly colored pencils. With the many different locations you’ll hopefully be visiting, it might be helpful to color code your notes when writing down clues and travel itineraries. And since you cannot bring a camera with you, you can also sketch the sites you see to help remember them later. And hopefully you’ll be in the race long enough so that you can give them away as gifts to children that you meet along the way.

4. Lavender oil. Lavender fragrance is a potent relaxation aid. Since it’s doubtful that you’ll have room to pack a travel pillow, you can dab a touch of lavender oil on the airline pillows and be well rested for the next leg of the race.

5. T-Shirt translations. The most helpful travel tool is politeness. Use an iron-on transfer to make a T-shirt that has the phrases “Please,” “Thank You,” and “Have you seen Phil Keoghan around here?” printed in every possible language.

5 Beautiful Things

 

A {Painted} Penny For Your Thoughts

Beginning early next year, pennies will no longer be manufactured in Canada, ending over 150 years of production by the Canadian Mint. The poor penny has been deemed “unnecessary” to the Canadian economy and the one-cent tender will become a thing of the past.

Reaction to the news is mixed. Economists are thrilled, since it will save Canada nearly $10-million a year in production costs. Retailers are not so happy, since it means having to reprogram cash registers and reprint price tags to balance sums of change that will no longer use pennies.

But what about the nostalgists among us: the penny collectors, the wishing-well traditionalists, the “lucky penny” enthusiasts? What will become of us? What will we do with our array of tiny copper disks?

The options, it seems, are many.

Creative and inventive artists have used pennies to coat floors, to decorate walls, create murals and make sculptures and I’m quite sure that as pennies become less and less prominent on the economic scene the fascination with them will only increase.

Some, like artist Jacqueline Lou-Skaggs, have used pennies as tiny canvases, painting little portraits and landscapes on the 1.43 millimeter surface. Below are five images of her beautiful creations.

So, would you miss the penny if it disappeared from your wallet, or would it be a blessing? A penny for your thoughts…

 

 

All artwork by Jacqueline Lou-Skaggs

 

Andrew Ritchie is the creator of Martha Moments, a blog devoted to Martha-Stewart related content and her community of supporters. He lives and works in Toronto, Canada, and has been a longtime friend of Brent & Josh, Beekman 1802 and Sharon Springs. Each week he’ll scour the world (wide web) to find the 5 most beautiful things to inspire you. Follow Andrew on Pinterest.

 

Climbing Vroman’s Nose

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In the nearby town of Middleburgh there’s a unique geological feature towering up from the Schoharie Creek Valley floor. It’s name is as unique as its origin: Vroman’s Nose.

The Vroman family settled the area in the early 18th century, and the land was ceded to them by the British government. From a distance, it’s easy to see how the geological feature got its name. Recently we took a hike with our friends Megan and Angela to the very top of Vroman’s nose. Next time you’re visiting Sharon Springs, we highly recommend this journey for yourselves.

Gartending: G & T

 

How do you make a Gin and Tonic more exciting?

Well, the first thing you should do is consult a mixologist.

What is a mixologist?

A mixologist is a chef/liquid-scientist who loves intoxicating beverages.

But what does this have to do with Gin and Tonic cocktails?

Well, Klaus, the soused gnome, loves the classic version of the G & T cocktail.  But he likes to twist them up a bit with Meyer lemons and Hendrick’s Gin.  His tonic is absolutely the most important ingredient other than the Gin.  Why?  Commercially produced tonic water is mostly corn syrup sweetener.  And how can you make a cocktail taste more like the real thing?

You should use better tonic water.

Fortunately, we have Q-Tonic water at our disposal.  If you have a Williams-Sonoma store nearby, you can buy this essential ingredient to a Gin and Tonic.

I also believe that the Gin is important, otherwise don’t call it a G&T. And because Klaus is insistent on the Gin, he prefers Hendrick’s in his twisted G&T cocktail.  But what is the ingredient that twists his G&T?  It’s the Meyer lemon and fresh mint picked still warm from the sun- instead of lime.  Most people just assume that a G&T has lime, but Klaus, the soused gnome likes his G&T’s with muddled Meyer lemon and mint.

What you get is a crisp, fresh- refreshing gartending cocktail.

The mint is growing smaller and more powerful on these days of waning sun and the daily heat-up.  I like to utilize mint more and more on these days because I really like to think of the summer when winter rolls around in my cocktails.

Just as I look forward to the first shoots of mint to poke their way up out of the frozen ground.

The new mint is as essential as the seasons themselves.

 

Hendrick’s Gin and Tonic, Twisted Gartender-Gnome Style

(Klaus gave permission, don’t worry)

Ingredients  (to obliterate the sensibilities of two of your closest friends)

Hendrick’s Gin

Q-Tonic Water

Fresh Kentucky Colonel Spearmint

Meyer Lemons

 

Preparation:

Muddle Kentucky Colonel Spearmint with about ½ of a Meyer lemon in slices in a Boston Shaker (that’s a cocktail shaker made of insulated metal with a glass that fits right inside of it for shaking)

Add 4 oz of Hendrick’s Gin to the mint, Meyer lemon muddle

Add a handful of ice

Shake Shake Shake

Pour into a tall glass with fresh ice

Top with about two ounces of Q-Tonic Water- more or less as desired anyway!

Garnish with fresh mint and sip until relaxed

 

Yum

5 Beautiful Things

It All Started With The Apple

Anyone who knows the lore about how Brent and Josh wound up at the Beekman mansion in Sharon Springs knows about the central role an annual apple-picking excursion played in its eventual acquisition by the self-described “city boys.”

Each autumn, Brent and Josh would travel to upstate New York from their apartment in Manhattan to pick apples in one of the region’s many orchards, loading up on this versatile and delicious fruit to use for baking. One fateful weekend, their apple-picking expedition led them astray and they found themselves in a town they had never heard of before: Sharon Springs. They instantly felt a connection to the place and spent the night. The next day, they saw the For-Sale sign in front of the 1802 mansion just outside the town proper, beautifully restored and majestic against its 60-acre backdrop of rolling hills and old trees. Somehow, they knew it was home.

We can never really comprehend  how fate and duty can shape the course of our lives. Tried-and-true traditions may end up sparking a brilliant new chapter full of risk and adventure. Accidents and ‘wrong turns’ can lead to fortuitous discoveries, inspiration and new perspectives. Mistakes and bad luck can take us on beautiful journeys of realization and enlightenment.

So, this week let’s celebrate the humble apple, for all its promise and goodness, versatility and simplicity – and for how the pursuit of this lovely fruit accidentally brought a courageous couple with a vision back to their rural roots.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos:

1. Birdcagewalk.tumblr.com

2. Birdcagewalk.tumblr.com

3. Photobucket.com

4. en.wikipedia.org

5. almondejournals.com

 

Andrew Ritchie is the creator of Martha Moments, a blog devoted to Martha-Stewart related content and her community of supporters. He lives and works in Toronto, Canada, and has been a longtime friend of Brent & Josh, Beekman 1802 and Sharon Springs. Each week he’ll scour the world (wide web) to find the 5 most beautiful things to inspire you. Follow Andrew on Pinterest.

 

 

Foolproof Homemade Mayonnaise.

Josh’s late Uncle Bob lived in France and could make delicious homemade mayonnaise utilizing nothing more than olive oil, an egg yolk, a fork, and a few magic flicks of his wrist. Most everyone who lives in France can do the same. They’re special people who God blessed with a genetic ability to emulsify egg yolks at the drop of a beret.

The rest of us are doomed to fail miserably seven out of every ten times we attempt to make our own homemade mayonnaise. It’s in the Bible somewhere. Trust us.

Until now.

We recently discovered the most foolproof way to make homemade mayonnaise that turns out perfectly every time. No more broken emulsions. No whisking endlessly, futilely. All one needs are the ingredients, an immersion blender, and one minute.

If you check out most homemade mayonnaise recipes, you’ll find instructions for room temperature egg yolks, and slowly drizzling olive oil while whisking with the other hand, and adding the flavorings at different stages…forget all that. Here’s all you need to do.

In the cup that came with the immersion blender (or any tall narrow glass in which the immersion blender fits all the way to the bottom) add the following ingredients. The only order that matters is that the egg goes in first:

2 egg yolks (Don’t worry if some white gets in. Contrary to what you’ve been led to believe, it doesn’t matter in the slightest with this method. Of course you can always use the leftover egg-whites to make meringues…also like the french do.)

1.5 cups of oil. (We use mostly olive oil with a little canola. But if you don’t love a strong olive taste, you can use any ratio of any oils.)

1 Tblsp lemon juice

1 tsp vinegar (Any kind will do, but usually a light-colored variety looks better in the finished product)

1 tsp mustard (Any kind. Even dry.)

Salt, pepper, herbs, sugar, honey, hot pepper flakes, a whole garlic clove or two…a little of whatever you feel like. Go ahead, experiment a little.

Then place the blender all the way to the bottom of the cup and start whirling. As the emulsification begins, simply slowly pull up as the mayonnaise begins forming and thickening to incorporate the rest of the oil. It’s that simple. Or as the French might say: “No Problemo.” Or something like that.

 

Hopefully you saved the cup that came with your immersion blender. It’s helpful to have the markings on the side so you don’t have to dirty another cup measuing out the oil. But if you can’t find that original cup, any tall narrow vessel will do, as long as the blender fits all the way to the bottom.

It doesn’t matter what order the ingredients are added, as long as the eggs are in first they’ll stay at the bottom. They’re heaviest.

It will be fairly obvious that the yolks and oil are being emulsified. The texture will noticably thicken as it “catches” and will turn an opaque cream color. Then begin slowly pulling up on the blender to incorporate the rest of the oil.

The finished product. Perfect every time.

 

Mayonnaise will last about 2 weeks in the refrigerator, but for best taste and texture, we recommend consuming withing the first week after preparation.

Gartending: Toddies!

 

Hot Toddy Time! 

Frosty weather is coming quickly and in keeping with his German heritage, Klaus has a fire burning in the fireplace to take the chill off the morning.  Mornings in the old house are usually punctuated by the sound of crackling fires in the dining room fireplace.  Comforting and warming, a nice fire is taking the chill off the air out in the garden.

Although it’s still warm during the day, the mornings can be rather chilly!

Klaus and I were discussing the topic of the Toddy while he put a fire in the fireplace. (Metaphorically speaking of course)

The Hot Toddy is a favored morning cocktail.  A pot of tea is steeping, the aromatic oils of Klaus’s favored elixir shimmering on the surface of this essential liquid.  Klaus loves to augment his tea or “correct” it with a healthy shot of Tenneyson Absinthe and Four Roses Bourbon .  Do you want Absinthe, Sage and Bourbon in your breakfast cup of tea?  I say yes (as does Klaus), absolutely.

Klaus introduced me to Glühwein or spiced wine, but this relaxing drink is not usually enjoyed before the afternoon.  For the cool morning air, Klaus expects to have his tea “corrected.”

Klaus tells me that in Down East in Maine he used to ward off the morning cool weather on his wooden sailboat. Rum usually goes into his tea mug.

“It makes going back to bed easier.” Klaus chimes in.

He’s got quite the life.  Wake up, have a Hot Toddy, go back to bed.  I’m jealous of his little ceramic body and his ability to drink all day long without any unkind consequences!

The Hot Toddy is a historic cocktail dating back at least to the 1700’s in Scotland.  Traditionally, this drink had several parts starting with a warm base, a sweetener and alcohol.  In Scotland, that meant Scotch.

Where Klaus lives in New Jersey, this means Bourbon or even a more potent Apple Jack (Apple Brandy) if you are so inclined.

Klaus uses items in his Hot Toddy that hail all from the garden.  In this case, his drink has hot apple cider as the base from the plethora of apples that stand ripe on the tree ready to drop into his little outstretched hands.  Klaus likes Bourbon as opposed to Scotch in his Hot Toddy.  Mixed with the Bourbon, in this case the Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon, Klaus has secured a traditional elixir from the crafty folks at Art in the Age in Pennsylvania named Sage.  Sage is comprised of Sumac, Thyme, Fennel, Dandelion, Angelica, Rosemary and Sage leaf.  Weighing in at eighty Proof, Sage Liquor is a most unusual and aromatic slurp.

Taken in small amounts, the careful “gar-tender” that is Klaus, makes him stand up straight and take notice of the savory goodness of the earth and his late-season; bountiful garden.

Being German, Klaus has a way with hot apple cider and its augmentation.

The Tenneyson Absinthe is the veritable light at the end of the tunnel for this hot drink.  Tenneyson weighs in at a hefty 107 Proof, small quantities it can add these essential flavors of warmth.  In larger quantities, the Tenneyson Absinthe can add fortification against the bone-chilling frost of the morning.

That’s called “correcting” your morning beverage!

Freshly made local apple cider is one of life’s true pleasures.  Klaus is rather fond of this beverage and he enjoys his apple cider woven into a cup of steaming hot tea.  Perhaps this drink has the historic significance that is necessary?  Hot tea, apple cider, a bit of Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon, some Tenneyson Absinthe, and Sage all combined makes going back to bed much easier.

Klaus could use some more sleep!  Klaus is always right about that corrected cup of tea.  Yawn….

Bzzzzzz.

 

Sagebrush Toddy  

(Makes two absolutely mind-numbing and quite dangerous drinks)

 

Ingredients:

Tenneyson Absinthe

Sage (USDA Certified Organic)

Four Roses Bourbon

Tenneyson Absinthe

Apple Cider (heated)

Baked Apple slices (slice an apple, sprinkle with cinnamon and then roast slices on a baking sheet at 350 until soft about 15-20 minutes)

Honey to taste

Hot Tea, freshly brewed is essential

Freshly Whipped Cream

(DO NOT use those cans of whipped chemicals, whip your own!)

 

Preparation:

Pre-heat your mugs with boiling hot water- set aside

Pour out the hot water when the mug is sufficiently hot

Muddle a couple of baked apple slices into the base of your pre-heated mug with honey to taste

Add 1 shot of Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon; ½ shot each Sage and the Tenneyson Absinthe

Add 1 shot of apple cider that is pre-heated

Top with hot tea

Garnish with a dollop of freshly whipped cream

Sip then sleep like Klaus!

Klaus? Klaus?  Are you sleeping again?

 

Time to put your feet up and relax.  Cheers!

 

 

 

Top 10 things I’ve Learned From Goats

Five years in the country has taught me more about life than fifteen years in NYC.

10. Don’t butt heads with anyone who has bigger horns.

9. The grass is always greener when someone else cuts it, bales it, and totes it over to where you’re already lying down.

8. Better the same old milking hands every day than getting used to a whole new set of callouses.

7. If you’re not sure about something, go ahead and taste it. You can always spit it out.

6. The manure may pile up in the winter, but it keeps the barn warm. Sometimes life is just one sh*tty trade-off after another.

5. If there is someplace to stand around and do nothing that is higher up than the current place you’re standing around doing nothing, it’s worth the effort to move.

4. If everyone else is running away in the same direction, join them now, ask questions later.

3. Getting mud between your toes is not as poetic as people make it out to be. Better to stay out of the rain in the first place.

2. There’s no better pillow than someone else’s tummy.

1. Fences are mere suggestions.

Welcome, new Amazing Race & Cooking Channel friends

Josh & Brent, “The Beekman Boys.” (photo: Andrea Parisi http://fireflygfx.com/)

Welcome to Beekman 1802 Farm – home of Josh, Brent, Farmer John, the goats, PolkaSpot and all kinds of crazy creatures. If you haven’t heard of us before, we’re glad to finally be meeting you. We put this article together to help you learn more about Brent & Josh, our company, and our great upstate home – Sharon Springs, NY.

If you’ve found your way to us after watching The Amazing Race, you can learn more about our farm lives by watching The Fabulous Beekman Boys on Cooking Channel, every Thursday night at 10pm ET. (Click here to find the channel listing in your area) You can also watch the first season of our show on  iTunes, DVD, or Amazon Instant Video

Or you can read all about how we became “accidental goat farmers” and founded our company, Beekman 1802, in our bestselling memoir The Bucolic Plague.  If you’re interested in trying some of our goat milk soaps, cheese, and artisanal crafts, please check out our online store or visit us in person. If you like to cook, please check out our bestselling Beekman 1802 Heirloom Cookbook.

Here’s a little more about our background s…

Brent is a physician who used to work as “Dr Brent” at Martha Stewart Omnimedia. You might recognize him from his appearances on the Martha Stewart Show. Josh is a writer, who also works in advertising. We’ve been together 13 years, having first met in New York City where we lived full time up until five years ago. That’s when we stumbled across the Beekman Mansion and Farm in Sharon Springs, NY while on an apple picking trip. We purchased it, and the rest is not only history…it’s our future. Check out this slideshow to find out more.

Beekman1802.com is the hub of everything Beekman.

Here you’ll find great recipes, gardening articles, decor ideas, and can shop for all our products. Please look around a little and comment on anything that tickles your fancy. Share your tips with us too! We can all always be a little more fabulous.

Nice to meet you,

Josh & Brent